Method for simultaneous flush cleaning mixing chamber

ABSTRACT

In machines for spraying plastics, there is a risk that the spray head may be blocked by curing plastics mixture if the head with its mixing chamber is not carefully cleaned as soon as a spraying cycle is completed. The present invention eliminates this risk by a method for flush cleaning the spray head by means of a cleaning liquid which is injected in the head, said injection being controlled by means of valves also controlling the mixing and spraying of the plastics.

United States Patent 1 1 Svensson 1 Aug. 14, 1973 METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS FLUSH [56] References Cited I CLEANING MIXING CHAMBER UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Sven Rolf Svensson, Goteborg, 3.131.706 5/1964 Harban 137/15 Sweden 3,219,273 11/1965 Killen 239/104 x 3,558,051 1/1971 Strickler 239/1 Asslsnw Svmka Akflebohset M 3,572,366 3/1971 Wiggins 239/112 Protection, Goteborg; Sweden Primary Examiner-Robert S. Ward Jr. 2 F 2 1971 [2 1 Apr Attomey-l-lolman & Stern 21 Appl. NO-Z 136,666 [57] ABSTRACT I 30] Foreign A u flb P i i Data In machines for spraying plastics, there is a risk that the Apr. 27 1970 Sweden 5836/70 spray head may be by ring Flam mixture if the head with its mixing chamber is not carefully s21 U.S. c1 239/1, 239/106, 239/112, cleaned as i! swaying cycle is The Y 237/15 134/18 present mvention ehminates this risk by a method for 511' 1111. c1.....-. 13051 15/02 13086 7/04 flush clean! the spray head Wang a 581 Field 61 Search 239/1 104 106 liquid which is inieced head said iniecim controlled by means of valves also controlling the mixing and spraying of the plastics.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 14, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS FLUSH CLEANING MIXING CHAMBER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for simultarieously flush cleaning mixing chambers in the spraying head of machines for homogenizing and spraying reactive additive plastics having a short inductive period.

The creation of two-component systems of monomer synthetic plastics, preferably without solvents, which, upon addition and homogenization without supply of heat, spontaneously polymerize into nonreversible duro-plastics of for instance epoxyorurethane type has founded a need of practically usable apparatus for applying these materials, primarily by spraying.

These materials are already of great importance as surface layers for sealing and reinforcing concrete, primarily in the form of floorings, and as corrosion protectives for steel. Due to their rather viscous nature, the materials are difficult to apply on vertical surfaces in thick layers as it is difficult to give them a desired thixotrope nature in order to prevent dripping. This drawback is largely eliminated if the polymerization is advanced so fast that the material will set before any dripping has taken place.

Due to the very short period of time, often only some seconds, which elapses after the material components have been mixed and homogenized until the polymeriza ti'on has advanced so far that the flowing material changes to a rigid product, it is necessary to be able quickly to clean the members of the apparatus which have come into contact with the homogenized (activated') material, at the end of each spraying cycle. This has hitherto been carried out by separate manual activation of rotary or pressure valves, whereby cleaning liquid followed by air or cleaning liquid and air together have been caused to flush through the mixing chamber, etc. Other functions such as starting and stopping the mixing motor for the mixing chamber, opening and shuttingoff air for atomizing the homogeni'zed materials and in certain cases stopping and starting'the driving motors for dosing pumps have also been operated manually, often with separate controls located at different portions of the machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION 'OF THE DRAWINGS The invention 'willhereinafter be further described in connection to a spraying machine shown in the accompanyi'n'g drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a mixing head forming part of the machine,

FIG. 2 is a view along line II II in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a section along line A A in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a rotary valve included in the mixing head is in shut and open positions respectively.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show sections according to FIGS. 3 and'4-along line B B in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 7 shows schematically a complete view of the connections of the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a mixing headl provided with two rotary valves 2, which are simultaneously actuned by means of a manually operable lever 3. The mixing head is provided with a mixing motor 4 which causes 'mechanical'stirring of the resin components.

The mixing head is further provided with an opening 5 leading to the spray nozzles. As can be seen from FIG. 2 the mixing head is also provided with a number of additional openings which are controlled by means of the rotary valves 2. Openings Al and A2 are for delivery of resin components to the mixinghead. A3 is an opening for the cleaning liquid, while B1, B2 and B3 are openings for pressurized air.

FIG. 3 which is a section along line A A in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows the mixing head I when the lever 3 is in the closed position. Hence the passages A1 and A2 are closed, while passage A3 is open, thereby allowing the cleaning liquid to reach mixing chamber 6 in the mixing head.

In FIG. 4 the lever 3 has been moved to the opened position, whereby the resin components may reach the mixing chamber via passages A1 and A2 and the passage A3 is closed.

In FIG. 5 the mixing head is shown in closed position in a section along line B B of FIGS. 1 and 2. The passages BI and B3 are closed while B2 is open to the surrounding atmosphere.

FIG. 6 shows a similar view in which the lever 3 is set to the open position. Passages B1 and B2 are interconnected and passage B3, which delivers pressurized air to the mixing head for atomizing the mixture, is opened.

FIG. 7 finally illustrates an embodiment of the entire machine with its connections shown schematically. The machine is primarily driven by an air compressor 7, which is directly connected to openings BI and B3 of the mixing head I. The air compressor delivers air for driving the mixing motor 4 via a valve 8. The compressor is further, via a reversing valve 9, connected to an air cylinder 10, which is mechanically connected to and operates a pump 11 for the cleaning liquid.

The liquid pump 11 is connected to openings A3 via a line including a non-return valve 12. The compressed air supplied to opening B1 is, when the valve 2 is opened, transferred via passages Bl B2 to the reversing valve 9, whereby the valve 9 is set in a position in which the compressed air from the compressor charges the air cylinder 10. The piston of this cylinder thereby makes a linear movement, whereby the piston of the cleaning liquid pump 11 is charged with cleaning liquid delivered via a line including a non-return valve 13. The compressed air from B2 also actuates a switch 14, which starts an electric motor 15. This motor drives via speed variators (not shown) two dosing pumps 16 which supply openings Al and A2 with the resin components. At the start of the spraying operation, the cleaning liquid pump then is automatically filled with a cleaning liquid.

When the spraying operation is completed, the lever 3 is set to the shut position. The passages Al and A2 are thereby closed, passage A3 opened, passages B1 and B3 ciosed and passage B2 is purged. As passage B2 is purged, the reversing valve 9 is, due to spring actuation set in a new position in which the switch 14 is switched off, thereby turning off the motor 15 and the air passage to the air cylinder 10 is reversed. The piston of this cylinder thereby makes a stroke so that the cleaning liquid from pump 11 is injected in the mixing chamber via passage A3.

The mixing motor 4 is not stopped at the same time as the dosing pumps 16 but continues to rotate during the beginning of the flush cleaning operation due to a 3 delayed closing impulse, which is controlled by a circuit l7 actuating the valve 8. The mixing motor 4 thereby improves the cleaning effect, and the flush cleaning then automatically takes place as soon as the spraying operation is completed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine having a reliable function and a simplified maneuvering of all functions necessary for dosing, homogenizing and atomizing the material and for the immediate cleaning of the spraying nozzle after each spraying cycle by means of a simultaneous central operation from the spray head. Due to this it, is sufficient for the operator to make one single manipulation at the beginning and at the end respectively of each spraying cycle so that the operator can concentrate his attention to the spraying work, and his position while working on scaffoldings etc. The risk of blocking or damaging the spray head due to failing cleaning is also eliminated.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that a cleaning liquid immedately upon the end of the spraying cycle is injected into the mixing chamber of the spray head from a pneumatically driven pressure increasing pump on a servo impulse from rotary valves, which are mounted in the spray head and which also control other important functions, whereby the mixing chamber and adjacent members for atomizing the spraying media are cleaned from a reactive (monomer) plastic mixture, and that the pump is refilled by a servo impulse at the beginning of the next spraying cycle.

At the beginning of the spraying the lever 3 which is mechanically connected to the rotary valve 2 for the respective resin components is pushed to the open position. Thus connections A1, A2 are opened between tubes for resin components and the mixing chamber 6 as well as a connection for servo air to a relay for ventilating the mixing motor 4, which has started immediately. At the same time a relay 14 which closes the circuit to a electric motor 15, which via speed variators run two dosing pumps 16, is ventilated, whereby the electric motor starts. The servo air also is used for actuating a reversing valve 9 which ventilates a piston in a compressed air cylinder 10, with the piston which is mechanically connected to a liquid piston pump 11 thereby making a linear motion so that the cleaning liquid is drawn into the liquid pump. Finally the connection A3, distributing air for atomizing the media is opened. Two resin components now flow from the respective dosing pumps 16 through tubes into the mixing chamber 6 wherein they are homogenized by means of rotating and fixed members. The material thereupon passes through an opening 5 to a spray nozzle in which atomizing and spraying of the material takes place. Due to the limited volume of the mixing chamber the material turn-over will be so great that there is no risk for polymerization of a higher degree as long as the spraying operation is continued.

At the end of the spraying, the lever 3 is pushed to the shut or closed position whereby the direct connections for resin components Al, A2 and atomizing air B3 through the rotary valves 2 are stopped. At the same time, the relay 14 for the pump motor 15 is purged, so that the pump motor stops and the distribution of resin components ends. The reversing valve 9 to the air cylinder 10 of the cleaning liquid pump 11 is purged, and the valve slide, due to spring actuation, is carried to its original position in which the air cylinder piston is ventilated. The cleaning fluid, which earlier has been drawn in thereby is emitted from the connected liquid pump to the mixing chamber 6 with an increased pressure depending on the difference in area between the air piston and the pump piston. Nonreturn valves 12, 13 are arranged in a conventional manner on the liquid pump 11 in order to make inand-outpumping possible. By means of a delay arrangement 17, the mixing motor 4 continues to rotate some seconds after the cleaning has taken place in order to make the cleaning more efficient.

What we claim is:

l. A method for simultaneously flush cleaning a mixing chamber in a spray head of machines for homoge' nizing and spraying reactive additive plastics having a short inductive period and in which the head is provided with rotary valves controlling the mixing and spraying of the plastics and adjacent members for atomizing the plastics, comprising the steps of injecting from a pneumatically driven pressure increasing pump on a servo impulse from the rotary valves a cleaning liquid into the mixing chamber immediately upon the end of a spraying cycle to clean the mixing chamber and adjacent members from reactive plastics, and refilling the pump by a servo impulse at the beginning of the next spraying cycle.

2. The method for simultaneously flush cleaning a mixing chamber in a spray head as claimed in claim 1 in which a mixing member rotatable in the mixing chamber due to a delayed shutting impulse continues its rotation during the cleaning cycle.

* 1B 3i i 

1. A method for simultaneously flush cleaning a mixing chamber in a spray head of machines for homogenizing and spraying reactive additive plastics having a short inductive period and in which the head is provided with rotary valVes controlling the mixing and spraying of the plastics and adjacent members for atomizing the plastics, comprising the steps of injecting from a pneumatically driven pressure increasing pump on a servo impulse from the rotary valves a cleaning liquid into the mixing chamber immediately upon the end of a spraying cycle to clean the mixing chamber and adjacent members from reactive plastics, and refilling the pump by a servo impulse at the beginning of the next spraying cycle.
 2. The method for simultaneously flush cleaning a mixing chamber in a spray head as claimed in claim 1 in which a mixing member rotatable in the mixing chamber due to a delayed shutting impulse continues its rotation during the cleaning cycle. 